The police report is a vital piece of evidence individuals need when moving forward with an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit after a vehicle accident occurs. However, obtaining a police report is not something individuals do on a regular basis. Here, we want to review the basic steps you can take to recover your police report after an accident in Michigan.
What Goes Into a Police Report in Michigan?
Under Michigan law, individuals are required to file a police report after a vehicle accident if the incident involves more than $1,000 in property damage, if there was any injury to persons involved, or if there was a fatality. The incident needs to be reported as soon as possible to the local police jurisdiction. The police officer will fill out a document called the UD-10 Traffic Crash Report.
This report will contain various types of information relevant to the incident, and this information will be needed for an insurance claim or if you move forward with a personal injury lawsuit. The traffic report for a Michigan vehicle accident includes:
- Names and contact information for any driver involved
- Insurance information for all parties involved
- Passport identification of the actual driver
- Names and contact information of eyewitnesses
- The time and date of the incident
- Narratives and rudimentary diagrams related to the accident
- The types of property damage or injuries sustained in the incident
- Road conditions, weather conditions, and road type
- The officer’s opinion as to how the crash occurred
How do You Obtain Your Police Report?
In order to obtain a copy of this required police report, individuals can request it from the Michigan State Police or the local police department that investigated the incident. The steps to obtain the report from the Michigan State Police include:
- Going to michigan.gov/msp and click “Traffic Crash Reports” under the “Popular Online Services” menu
- Registering to use the system
- Clicking the “MSP Records Request” option
- Completing the required form and paying the fee
In order to obtain the traffic crash report from the local police jurisdiction where the incident occurred, individuals can do the following:
- Contacting the local government records clerk
- Inquiring about the Freedom of Information act policies for traffic crash reports
- Following the clerk’s instructions to obtain the report under the FOIA policy
Working With an Attorney
In many cases, an accident claim may seem straightforward, but that is not always the case. We strongly encourage any vehicle accident victim in Michigan to work with a skilled Southfield accident attorney who can examine their case. During a free evaluation of your claim, an attorney can help point you in the right direction when it comes to filing your insurance claim and handling any other parties involved.
It is not uncommon for insurance carriers to delay or even deny a claim, particularly if there are allegations of shared fault. An attorney could help you recover the compensation you are entitled to from medical bills, property damage expenses, pain and suffering damages, and lost wages. Do not hesitate to request an advocate of your own to stand up to these other parties.
The post How To Obtain Your Police Report After An Accident appeared first on Haque Legal.